The invention relates to a coupling or a plug for a connector for use in metrology, specifically in environmental metrology, with a contact receptacle which is enclosed in a housing. The invention also relates to a matching connector for use in metrology, specifically in environmental metrology, with a coupling and a plug.
A coupling of this type or a plug of this type is known from German patent application 197 23 684. The connector described therein is intended preferably for use in metrology and environmental technology. A requirement for the connector is that it has to be easy to manufacture, be as durable as possible and, above all, simple for a user to operate.
The object of the invention is to create a connector of this type, which is further improved with respect to manufacture, durability and/or use.
This object is met according to the invention through a coupling or a plug in that the housing for the coupling is furnished on its inner surface, outer surface and/or face with a projection which is assigned to a recess in a plug, and that the housing for the plug is provided on its inner surface, outer surface and/or face with a recess which is assigned to a projection on a coupling.
What is achieved as a result of the disposition of the projection and the recess is that the coupling and the plug can only be connected in a specified rotational position. This ensures correct alignment of the individual contacts in the coupling and in the plug to each other. Operation of the connector is thereby made considerably easier for the user.
What is also achieved as a result of the configuration of the projection and the recess on the two housings is that when the two components are inserted into each other, resulting stresses do not negatively affect the current or voltage-carrying components of the connector. Instead, the stresses act on only the two housings, which does not result in any deterioration in the electrical properties of the connector. This increases the durability of the plug according to the invention, or the coupling according to the invention, respectively.
In addition, the projection and the recess can be produced especially easily and inexpensively, so that an improvement is achieved even in this regard in the case of the connector according to the invention. It is particularly advantageous if the housing is produced from a hard plastic, specifically from polyphenylene sulphide (PPS). This results in any type of stress being absorbed and distributed by the hard plastic of the housing. In particular, pressure or shear forces, which can be created when the projection is inserted into the recess, have no negative affects on the connector because of the hard plastic. In particular, this ensures that the electrical properties of the connector always remain unchanged.
Furthermore, it is particularly advantageous if the contact receptacle consists of an electrically insulating and flexible plastic, specifically of polyfluoralkoxypolymer (PFA). Even if this material is not particularly hard, the contact receptacles are not exposed to any damage, in particular, when the coupling and the plug are connected. As a result of the disposition of the projection and of the recess on the housings of the coupling and the plug, any stresses are absorbed by the housings and, therefore, have no effect on the contact receptacles.
It is also particularly advantageous if a key is provided as a projection and a channel is provided as a recess, which are matched to each other. It is clear that the key and the channel can be assigned at discretion to either the plug or to the coupling, as well as to either the outer or inner surfaces of these components.
In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the contact receptacles are additionally provided with a second key and with a second channel. In this way a further alignment of the contacts of the plug and the coupling to each other is achieved. It is clear that the key and the channel can be assigned at discretion to the contact receptacles of the coupling and of the plug.
It is particularly advantageous if the keys and the channels in the housings and in the contact receptacles are designed in such a way that the key and the channel in the housings engage first, and only then do the key and the channel in the contact receptacles engage. This ensures that the actual alignment of the contacts in the coupling and in the plug is made through the key and the channel in the housings, and not through the key and the channel in the contact receptacles. This ensures that the contact receptacles are not damaged as a result of incorrectly inserting the plug into the coupling. Only following alignment of the key and the channel in the housing can the key and the channel in the contact receptacles be inserted into each other. At this point, the key and the channel in the contact receptacles are already automatically correctly aligned to each other by the key and the channel in the housings.
Additional features, potential applications and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description of practical examples of the invention which are shown in the figures of the drawing. All the properties described or depicted alone or combined in whole or part constitute the subject of the invention, independently of their summary in the patent claims or the retroactive references made therein, and independently of their formulation in the description or representation in the drawing.